What to do at Ettenmoors?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Well, I don't know if this is the right place, but who else could help me better than experienced Downers I am calling especially to you who have experience with creating your own roleplaying settings, your own adventures.

I have the following problem. As some of you may know, I am leading - "DungeonMaster-ing" a group of Dungeons&Dragons players. The place is Middle-Earth. We are not playing "classic" D&D. It's Middle-Earth, there are no teleports and similar things, and the game is very, very much roleplaying-based. Now we had a long-time pause (about half a year) when we did not play, but we are going to resume playing soon (hopefully).

My problem is, I have reached probably a "DM-crisis" state. My mind, otherwise full of ideas, is now empty. I have certain long-term plan with the group, but now I am totally out of ideas.

They just arrived at the Last Bridge. This morning (in-game), they will cross it. They're heading for Rivendell, but Ettenmoors is such a beautiful place to put an interesting one-session adventure before they reach Rivendell.

The company is: one old Elf, weary, wizardish, sort of a mentor, like Gandalf. A little girl, halfling, but lived in wilderness for who knows what reason almost all her life. Is just very slowly coming to understand the "large world" and is more at home in nature than among people. But she has some special powers she does not quite understand - the Elf decided that it is his duty to look after her. Then there is one warrior (hunter) from South, from the wilderness of Enedwaith, from where he came during the Fell Winter (the year is now 1312 SR). He ventured as far as the Shire, where the locals were afraid of him, and here he came to know the Elf and the girl. They ventured away from the Shire, experienced many things, and recently, they dared to accompany some Dwarves on their quest east, and now they reached the borders of Ettenmoors.

It's very briefly said, if any of you understand Czech, you can read about it more at http://fellowship.ic.cz But the main thing I wanted was to ask if anyone has any idea what to let them do at Ettenmoors...

I will provide more information if anyone is willing to help me.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

My problem is, I have reached probably a "DM-crisis" state. My mind, otherwise full of ideas, is now empty. I have certain long-term plan with the group, but now I am totally out of ideas.

Sounds all too familiar...

Ettenmoors...

Well, to be boring you can make them get lost. That's what happens in the moors. Yet I don't think that's enough for an adventure...

Ettenmoors are also called the troll-fells, so I guess you could introduce some troll trouble. For example, making trolls catch one or two or all of the characters and making the players to try to get out of the trolls' pot might be interesting.
Or maybe they could meet an Elf whose companion(s) has/have been taken by trolls and (if the characters are helpful enough) they could help him recover them.

As to Elves in trouble they could also meet some Elf who's lost something or someone and they must help him/her to do some detective work.

There are swampy places in moors - you could use that to your advantage and make someone drown or almost drown.

That's what comes to my mind first.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Thank you very much... maybe I will use something... you know, ideas like being waylaid by trolls came to my mind, but that's too easy and too short. Hmm... maybe the "pot adventure" may be interesting... and the "Elf who lost something" is also interesting idea, if I expand it somewhat, it could come into an interesting adventure. There could be also Dúnedain patrolling the area, maybe it could be even a Dúnadan and not just Elf walking there (not to spoil with the Elves too much)...

My imagination generally needs at least a "kick" to get running, hopefully you provided it... but I am still open to more ideas, of course...

[Rumil]

Turning to the Tale of the Years,

In 2912 (=SR1312 right!?) - The White Wolves invaded the Shire and great floods finally devastated Tharbad.

Therefore much potential for wolf attacks as well as trolls, trouble crossing rivers, possibly even trouble crossing rivers due to troll bridges while chased by wolves? (on no account allow your characters to mention billy goats!)

There could be a tragic scene of Chieftain Argonui of the Dunedain (can't quite figure from t'internet whether he died or retired in 2912) or the joyous accession of Arador (Aragorn's grandpa)

On a happier note you could always meet young Arathorn (39) (perhaps aiding in the whole wolf/troll/flood scenario) and even be invited to Gilraen's 5th birthday party at Rivendell!

I for one hope there was lots of jelly and trifle and that Mithrandir turned up to do the magic tricks !

And you could shamelessly borrow plot from the Barrowdowns itself!
http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=5728

Cheers,

Rumil

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Borrow? That's not too nice. But no, that does not go well with my professional pride, if you understand me

But actually, we have already experienced the Fell Winter, it's autumn '12 now (the winter was 2911-12 TA), they had wolf packs in the Shire... of course this was why I chose the year in the first place Besides that, they were during the spring floods on Brandywine and the river took them past Haysend, and they had to make it back to Buckland on foot through the Old Forest. They've also solved some trouble caused in Bree by certain Southlanders who had to leave Tharbad due to the floods, saved one of them from a Barrow-wight (who caught him when they were passing Andrath). Argonui is already dead, but I'm planning to introduce young Arathorn to them later - but there is time.

Good point about the wolves, though, I almost forgot about them. There are very probably still some in the woods, certainly at Ettenmoors. The company is on the road now, but it will be good to get them somehow off the road to get them lost... maybe Lommy's "elf's lost item" could do the trick... or something else. Anyways, thanks - and I am still welcoming more input

[Rumil]

Hi Legate,

oops sorry regarding the 'borrowing'. I think what I had in mind was some sort of subtle crossover between the two stories, like your party comes across mysterious hobbit tracks in the snow, finds items lost by the other party or has an encounter with enemies defeated by the 'Downers' party etc. I like this sort of thing because it gives an impression that oher people are also around in the area on their own business. In a way a bit like the mentions of Gondolin in The Hobbit, which give glimpses of other stories. On the other hand it looks as if your timeframe doesn't match so probably this wouldn't work.

So, hoomm, what happens after the floods have subsided? You've already had the Tharbad refugees, and it seems likely that a great natural disaster would force migration of both people and animals. I'd also guess that by autumn many people would be getting desperate for food after just making it through the Fell Winter then perhaps having their crops destroyed by flooding.

Meanwhile the after-effects of the flood will still be felt, bridges and roads washed away, landslides still not cleared up. That's a point, who would clear up landslides etc? I guess you could come across a Dwarven waggon train stuck on the road and having to improvise a bridge, meanwhile trying to keeping the trolls at bay. Could be a chance for a bit of problem-solving how to get the road repaired and a rescue mission to find any travellers who have mysteriously disappeared in the night, folowing the muddy troll or wolf-prints.

On a darker note, perhaps alongside one of the fast flowing streams of the moors flash-flooding has uncovered Something Which Was Better Left Undisturbed (tombs, mewlips, nameless things which gnaw the world below etc).

By the way I like the website (even though I don't know any Czech) and its both cool and weird to see the maps in another language!

Cheers

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Yay, thanks for that, really inspirative thoughts... maybe some of the flood's after-effects could take place. Especially the "uncovering" idea I find very good, I'm probably going to use it, if not now, then surely later.

All right... let's think of it (I'll "think aloud" so that you can add if you had any idea). They can pass the bridge and then go one day undisturbed (but I'll try to awake the feeling in them that there's still danger lurking around). Another day they'd have to cross a "secondary river", created by the floods - they could not pass it, so they'd have to leave the road. It could be also that the road will lead down into a valley, which would be made a small lake now. This way I'll get them off the road... and make them get lost Then they could meet a troll or three and be later rescued by an elf or two (healed after the battle)... hmm... Oh, and that could be a good moment when the Elves could ask them to help with Lommy's quest for lost Something. Like that their patrol-friend was lost, or just info that some athelas is around (that would be just a hook for the party members to try to find and collect it for themselves), or something like that... I have an idea of making the party having to drown into a lake for something (created by water that remained in an isolated valley); maybe even before meeting the Elves - they'd see something shiny in the lake and then they'd realize there's a dead body, and it would be the Elves' dead comrade (killed by Who-Knows-What) - but he would have a certain thing (dagger, ring, whatever) which they could either keep or give to the Elves. Anyway, after the meeting, the Elves would leave them, because they have some other job to do... they could even be Elladan and Elrohir... or just one of them... but they would show them the right direction to Rivendell... then there'll be yet some trouble before Rivendell...

And concerning the combination with the Downs' RPG storyline, there's nothing wrong with that, just I'd have to read it all through first, which, well... It's a bit too long to read all at once.

Originally Posted by Rumil

By the way I like the website (even though I don't know any Czech) and its both cool and weird to see the maps in another language!

Thanks. I thought about making an English version of it as well so that for example some Downers who were interested could look at it; but especially translating "Letopisy" ("Chronicles"), which is the main part of it (containing all adventures of our company) would take great effort to translate (and to translate them in "nicer" language would be just horrible).
I understand what you mean when speaking of seeing maps in other languages, I find it always very interesting when I see something like that (or translation of some names in other languages in general).

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I understand what you mean when speaking of seeing maps in other languages, I find it always very interesting when I see something like that (or translation of some names in other languages in general).

I used to plan that I should start a thread where 'downers from different countries could compare and present how the names are translated in their language and how they sound... I wonder why I never did that, now that you two reminded me of it...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I used to plan that I should start a thread where 'downers from different countries could compare and present how the names are translated in their language and how they sound... I wonder why I never did that, now that you two reminded me of it...

Do not ask and do it. I'll certainly be interested, if no one else (and Rúmil would probably as well, and I am sure more people will).

[Rumil]

Hi all,

Legate, seems like you're going well with the adventure now! I'd certainly like to read your site if it was translated, I guess the online translation tools would be horribly inaccurate but probably unintentionally hillarious.

Lommy, I do like the idea of a 'names in translation' thread, and it would be great for posters to say what sort of image or vibe a word brings to mind, an obvious example being Mordor, which conjures up thoughts of death -mort, mortuary, murder etc. Sadly I have no language skills to be able to contribute much. Do you know offhand if the name translations were made, vetted, approved or disapproved of by Tolkien?

Cheers

Rumil

[Thinlómien]

I've started a thread on the topic, feel free to check and continue the discussion over there...

http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthr...886#post531886

And thanks for you both for making me both remember the idea and providing the "kick" to actually do something about it...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Because I was asked and because I think it may interest you, I decided to let you know how I succeeded with the adventure you - well, you two, Rumil and Lommy - helped to create. In the final version of the adventure (as you will see), I was inspired by many of the things you posted, though did not use them mostly just in the form as you brought them forward, but modified them - sometimes just a little, sometimes more. But it's undiscutable that the adventure, which the players liked very much (they voiced their opinions aloud and they said that "this one was really good"), could not be created and could not be made that good without the aid of you two. Thanks once again, also for my players.

Instead of some brief summary (which I, as well as I know myself, I would not be able to post anyway), I decided to try to translate what I wrote in Czech on our pages. It's a few paragraphs and you can read the whole story of this adventure there. Since you could be confused concerning the main characters, I'm posting here a... ahem... it was supposed to be a brief desctiption of the five main characters. In the second post, you can jump right to the tale itself. Hope you enjoy it - remember, you helped to create it

Our company:

Bivoj, a young hunter from Enedwaith, who, upon reaching his maturity went North, crossed two rivers and met Larongwaloth and Blueberry in the Shire, where he joined them. Recently, he bought himself a black dog at Bree, hoping the animal is going to help him on his journey.

Blueberry (orig. "Borůvka". The similarity to the name "Goldberry" is a coincidence and I realized that after I tried to translate the names to English), a Hobbit, resp. Fallohide girl who never knew her parents, grew up in wilderness in the Greenhill country, possesses some unusual powers (like speaking with animals) but does not fully understand what she does. She befriended Larongwaloth when he was keeping some food outside his house for her. Blueberry also has a companion, the so-called "Forochel snowy owl". She got an egg from Old Took on his birthday party as a present; and she raised the owl.

Larongwaloth, a Sindarin elf who considers himself very old (he even grows himself a beard like Círdan did). He is a loremaster and a historian, very learned and wise. Originally, he lived in the Grey Havens, but was fascinated by the coming of the Halflings and from the foundation of the Shire he lived in Greenhill country in a cottage he let the (ancient) hobbits build for him, deep in the woods, but he secretly observed the Halflings and wrote into his own book tales of their history. His cottage stands there until these days, almost unchanged (due to the "elvish magic", as say the hobbits who know about it - and dare to venture there). Larongwaloth has a donkey named Donkey, for he is one of many in the row of his donkeys he had from when he came to the Shire; and a frog named Constance who is rather old and is not quite an usual frog.

The three friends left the Shire some time ago, Laronwaloth felt it is his "duty" to accompany Blueberry, because her abilities seemed indeed strange to the wise Elf. At Bree, they joined a company of Dwarves whose leader, Dúvi of Dwálin's tribe, went on some mad quest and Larongwaloth with his books and knowledge could provide him with the map of wilderness that he lacked. The company decided to accompany the Dwarves on their journey east because Larongwaloth and Blueberry thought it could be interesting to visit Rivendell, while Bivoj was always willing to explore new regions (as possible hunting grounds).
However, the last night camping near the Last Bridge, a troll appeared at night and though he was driven off, Dúvi the Dwarven leader lost his temper and accused his hired guard, Thrán, of not being cautious enough on guard. This ended, quite absurdly, in firing the guard.

Thrán is a Dwarven guard who was fired from the job as guard in one of the Blue Mountain dwarven holds because of problems with his boss. He got hired by Dúvi as a guard on his quest and was offered good payment, but ended fired as well. Since he is a Dwarf, if you wanted to picture him, he has black beard and his hood is grey

Grill, a Dwarf from the Blue Mountains is an expert on all the mechanic and explosive things. He was hired by Dúvi to make some "excavation works" for his company upon reaching their target. However, standing beside his friend Thrán, he ended fired by the short-tempered Dwarven party leader. Both Grill's beard and his hood are fiery red.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Because Dúvi's company left early in the morning, heading alongside the river Hoarwell to the north, the bold fellows had yet some time to look around for the troll's hideout. Surely he was not around for too long time, for he did not have much of a hoard; but still the friends found some things of interest among his possession. Bivoj fancied especially one bull's horn, which gave out a very powerful deep sound when blown. The most interest, however, was caused by a small wooden box which, that much seemed clear, resisted even the troll's attempts to open it. The dwarf Thrán tried to succeed where the troll was not lucky and attempted to strike off the lock on the box with a stone. When he did not succeed, he continued with an attempt to strike off the lock over the edge of the bridge. The box flew off from his arms and nearly killed Larongwaloth and Grill. The elf decided to take the matter to his own hands - it seemed clear to him that this is not any ordinary box. Only after he knocked on it and spoke some unintelligible word, the box opened and revealed its contents. It contained a case with a letter written in Sindarin, warning before the "Shadow that looks towards Moria", which, according to the prediction of the writer is "moving northwards". The friends could not learn much from it, though, except from that the writer was a woman.* Therefore Larongwaloth decided to preserve the letter and the box for now and pass it in Rivendell to the Wise.

Afterwards, the company entered the Ettenmoors. The land of wolves and stone trolls gave the impression of rough and unpleasant country. Right the first day afternoon a rain storm started and it rained with short breaks for two full days. As if that were not enough, the friends realized that they don't have enough food for everybody on the journey to Rivendell. The dwarves Thrán and Grill, before dependant on the provisions of Dúvi's caravan, were abandoned with no food and in the rain it was not possible to stop and try to seek any fuel. Not considering that even attempts like that ended always unsuccesfully; the Ettenmoors seemed desolated and lifeless.

On the evening of the third day the friends came to a lake that was probably created under unfavorable natural conditions and it blocked the East road on a space of almost hundred yards. Nevertheless, thanks to Blueberry's good guidance the friends avoided the wetland and succeeded to pass by the lake; and they camped on its eastern side before the sun set.
Because the weather was nice now, the bold fellows collected some wood and after a long time they made a campfire and broiled some mushrooms that Grill found, along with lard he dug up somewhere among his possessions. Their pleasant feasting was interrupted by Bivoj's dog, who suddenly started to bark furiously towards a group of trees southward from the campsite. Thrán, Bivoj and Blueberry went to explore what caused the dog's disconcert. As soon as they stepped under the trees, they noticed a light of fire shining through the forest. While the two warriors unwieldily crept forwards, Blueberry quietly sneaked to the very edge of the forest glade where the fire was. She saw two trolls: one was saying something to the other at the moment, pointing back to where the friends came. Blueberry had to act quickly. She gave sign to both of the nearing warriors and then she used her affinity with nature and lured both the trolls away. After she run to the clearing, doused the fire by liquid from the trolls' mugs and then she dared to look to the purse one troll left there. And that was a mistake. Trolls' purses are the mischief, and this was no exception. Something gripped Blueberry's wrist and did not want to let go. Incoming Thrán rushed to aid her, while Bivoj sent his dog back to the camp, where Laronwaloth and Grill understood that something is wrong and run to help their friends. Before their departure Grill picked from his possessions several little bottles of unknown content.

When they arrived at the spot, Thrán was just trying to cut himself away from the entrapment of the troll-purse. It was not much time left, the trolls could be back in any moment. Thus, the bold fellows hid themselves behind the trees surrounding the forest glade.

The trolls really returned. It took them a while to realize what happened. But they figured out that someone doused their fire and was messing about with their purse, and that "someone" could be none but the one whose camp they before saw nearby. The companions, however, did not want in the slightest to leave their camp and Larongwaloth's donkey to two hungry trolls. Bivoj blew his bull-horn and Larongwaloth shouted aloud to lure the trolls back. They arrived in a moment with terrible stampede; but they did not expect the ambush that was prepared for them. Thrán and Bivoj clashed with one and let him taste the blades of their swords; Blueberry kept hitting the other with slingstones while Grill tossed two of his bottles at him. The dwarven liquid fire burned the troll and kept flaming; at the moment when the troll turned to run, Larongwaloth the elf appeared beside him and another flow of fire streamed from his hands! Both the trolls were defeated and our friends felt rightfully like heroes. The only thing they pitied was that the trolls - obviously famishing themselves - did not contribute in the slightest to their diminishing supplies.

But this was not the end of the events on the lakeside. On the next morning, when the companions went to the lake to refill their water supplies, Blueberry entered the water and after a while started even to swim further from the edge and dive. But when it happened that she did not emerge for some time, Larongwaloth started to cry for help. But sooner than Bivoj and Thrán (in his chainmail, as he was) could dive for her, she appeared suddenly near the shore, dragging a big two-handed sword. To the questions of her companions she answered that she found a dead body underwater, and that the sword was lying beside it. Bivoj took the body out and found that it belongs to a middle-aged man. The dead obviously was not lying underwater for much long, for he was still in quite good state; asides from the sword he had also a sack with watered remains of food, a knife and a purse of gold. The death was caused probably by piercing wound in his back. The friends spent some time with speculating about the fate of this man, but they did not came to any conclusion; at least they covered the dead's body with wood and shrubs and then resumed their course to the east.

The biggest problem were now the running-out supplies. Laronwaloth the elf made some calculations and came to the conclusion that the company has about three days till they reach the Bruinen fords. That did not sound too reassuring. The landscape, however, started to seem a little bit friendlier and even the animal tracks started to appear more frequently; Blueberry found some nuts to fill in her stomach. Now the company decided, about a day of walk before Loudwater, to make a stop and spent some time with hunting. This task was given to Thrán and Bivoj, accompanied by Bivoj's dog. It did not take a long and they were back in camp, not only with two rabbits, but also with numerous wounds from claws and bites. It was revealed that during their hunt they stumbled upon a pack of three white wolves, which however they overpowered (although for the price of numerous wounds) and whose meat then served as makeshift dish for the next day.

Nevertheless the meat served the lives of our friends, or rather stomachs. With enough rations the bold fellows could without fear get to Loudwater, which they passed without any problems. Further, led by the perceptive eyes of the dwarves and especially by these of Larongwaloth the elf, our friends marched on following a barely noticable path through the rocky land full of steep slopes till nightfall. At last, under high starry sky, five days before the autumn equinox stopped the weary wanderers on the edge of the secret valley of Rivendell and looked upon the Last Homely House, where there dwelt the wisest of all loremasters west of the Mountains, Elrond Halfelven.

~THE END~
(for now )

*Maybe it would be nonsense in Sindarin, but in Czech you can realize even if one speaks in first person whether he is "he" or "she" by verb suffixes.
I might add that there were also three big fëanorian letters without vocalisation on the case: calma, arda, númen.

[Rumil]

Thanks for posting the above Legate,

especially

Trolls' purses are the mischief, and this was no exception

sounds like a great adventure,

Cheers,

Rumil

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Rumil

sounds like a great adventure,

It does, but now I wonder if there's some strange rule that in every rpg you must find at least one dead body in lake and take their weapons or something...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

It does, but now I wonder if there's some strange rule that in every rpg you must find at least one dead body in lake and take their weapons or something...

What do you mean? I think, speaking for myself, it's maybe the first time in all my adventures when I let the players find a dead body in a lake (or if it already happened, then maybe in a sea, but not in a lake).

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

What do you mean? I think, speaking for myself, it's maybe the first time in all my adventures when I let the players find a dead body in a lake (or if it already happened, then maybe in a sea, but not in a lake).

Well, in more than half of the games I've played in there has been some dead body in a lake and now you made me wonder if this is a global rpging phenomenon and not just some strange fixation I and my friends & family have...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Well, in more than half of the games I've played in there has been some dead body in a lake and now you made me wonder if this is a global rpging phenomenon and not just some strange fixation I and my friends & family have...

So now you know: it is some strange fixation you have

But seriously, it's nothing; you just have too many lakes in your country, that's all...